Envelope and stamp moistener



(No Model.)

O. E. MOSMAN. ENVELOPE AND STAMP MOISTENER.

Patented Dec. 31, 1889.-

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. MOSMAN, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

ENVELOPE AND STAMP MOISTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,211, dated December31, 1889. Application filed Ha 15,1889. Serial No. 310,797. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. MOSMAN, of Meriden, in the county of "NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Envelope and Stamp Moisteners; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of saidinvention, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in envelope and stamp moisteners;and the obj ect of my invention is to produce a convenient article forthe desk, which will enable the possessor to quickly and easily moistenthe gum on an envelope or stamp or alarge number of them withoutperforming the disagreeable operation of using saliva.

My invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of my moistener complete. Fig. 2 is asectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lever, which isshown in section in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a plan or topview and a sectional view of a modification hereinafter referred to, thecover in Fig. 4. being removed.

A indicates a rectangular or other suitablyshaped box of a materialwhich is watertight.

B is a cover, whichmay be either removable from the box or permanentlysecured thereto. Theoover has an opening I; of a shape similar to thegumn'ied portion of an envelope-flap, and over this opening is asimilarly-shaped guide or guard b, secured to the cover on one side ofthe opening by screws or other suitable means. The piece 11' serves as aguide for inserting the gummed flap of an envelope with the gummed facedownward, and as a guard or stop for holding the flap against the upwardpressure of the moistening-pad, to be now described.

To the sides of the box or cover, as desired, is pivoted a lever C,which has a curved handle or pressure-piece c, projecting upward throughthe long straight slot 1) of the cover B, and at the other end of thelever under the opening I) of the cover is a pad 0', covered with feltor other absorbent 0 The pad is of a shape corresponding with theopening I) and slightly smaller than said opening, so as to projectthrough it when the pad is raised. The box is kept partially filled withwater, and when it is desired to moisten the gum of an envelope the flapof the envelope is opened and inserted, gummed face downward, under theguard b and pressure exerted on theleverhandle a through the envelope.The pad and felt is thereby lifted out of the water and pressed againstthe envelope-flap, thus moistening the gum. This operation can beperformed in a very short time, less than usually required to flick anenvelope, and avoids the disagreeable task and the danger of cutting thetongue resulting from licking the flap.

Instead of applying the absorbent material directly to the pad of thelever, I may loosely suspend a piece of such material over the pad, asshown at c in Figs. 4 and 5.

The stamp-moistener consists of a roller of absorbent material D, hungin bearings cl, placed at any convenient portion of the device, thecover being provided with an open ing, through which the upper portionof the roller projects, the ,lower portion being immersed in the waterin the box.

It will be seen that the pad in its vertical movement causes moisture tobe carried up to the envelope-flap to be moistened and then falls again,there being, therefore, very little opportunity for the water toevaporate when the device is not in use.

If the cover is made a fixturelmay provide a suitable opening for theadmission of water, or the water may be poured into the box through theroller-opening.

A small piece of glass may be set in the side of the box, as shown at E,to enable the user to see the amount of water contained.

It is obvious that at or near the opening I) there may be a rectangularopening corre sponding in size and shape with a stamp, and the lever Cmay have a corresponding pad. By such construction I can dispense withthe roller D and use the above-mentioned enlarged pad of the lever C formoistening a With a box having an opening in its cover, of

a lever having a moistening-pad at one end inside the box and having ahandle at its other end projecting outside the box, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a inoistening device, the combination, with a box having anopening in its top, of a Vertically-m ovable moistenin g-pad un der saidopening, and a moistening-roller having a portion of its peripheryprojecting through a second opening in the top of the box, substantiallyas described.

3. The combination of box A, coverB, havingopening b and 6 and guard b,and lever C, having handle 0 and pad 0 c substantially as described.

l. In a moistening device, the combination, with a Water-receptacle, ofa cover having an opening corresponding to the flap of an envelope and asecond opening corresponding With a stamp, and a moistening-padcorresponding with both of said openings and adjustable to differentelevations in said receptacle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribingWitnesses.

CHARLES F. MOSMAN. Witnesses:

A. L. STEVENS, O. P. Ivns.

